I recently wrote a column in the fortnightly magazine Jerusalem Report, titled “Waging War on our Children”. The title was a direct quote from Professor Larry Kotlikoff, Boston University. Kotlikoff pioneered economic studies of “intergenerational equity” – how one generation passes on a better (or a worse) economy and society to the younger generation.

Today, Kotlikoff’s meticulous studies show, it is …worse! Much much worse. Because, when you take the present value of US spending obligations (education, health, pensions), and the present value of US tax revenues, there is an enormous fiscal gap of $200 trillion, or 10 times US GDP. This is the debt burden the US is dumping on its young people. And this is true of other countries too, including my own, Israel. (see Kotlikoff.net)

In the latest issue of NATURE magazine (Nov. 8), I spotted this amazing short article. American ‘kids’ (young people) are suing the government (older generation), for ruining the climate and leaving them with a bloody mess.

This is a serious suit. Of course the Trump administration seeks to have it dismissed. But the Supreme Court will debate it seriously.

Is this where we’re at? Is this how low we’ve sunk? Our kids have to sue us, to get us to do something about the god-awful mess we’ve left them?

Hey kids. It’s not just the climate. It’s the toxic volatile divisive angry political situation, the hollowed-out economy (industry sent abroad), the spend-and-borrow society, the crummy schools, and much more. Broaden your suit. Sue us for the mess in general, not just climate change. Maybe that will wake us up?!